Card punching device



R. E. SEYMOUR ETAL June 15, 1965 CARD runcnme DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1963 mvznroas fizrawapawa FRANK E. RIEDL ATTORNEY June 1965 R. E. SEYMOUR ETAL 3,189,270

CARD PUNCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1963 FIG. 3

MUN i United States Patent Ofiice 3,189,270 Patented June 15, 1965 3,189,270 CARD PUNCHING DEVICE Raymond Eugene Seymour, Ambler, Pa, Frank E. Riedl,

New Rochelle, N.Y., and Ian Peniston Campbell, Norwalk, (301111., assignors to Sperry Rand Corporation,

New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 318,257

4 Claims. (Cl. 234-115) This invention relates to card punching devices and more particularly to improvements in electrically operated high speed card punching devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved form of electrically operated card punching device.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an electrically operated card punching device in which relative movement between components is decreased during non-punching operations and which enhances the life of said punching device.

Another object of this invention is the elimination of wear at certain bearing surfaces of an electrically operated high speed punching device by means of a novel flexible driving means.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of flexible drive means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of flexible drive means for a high speed card punching device which not only provides drive power but serves to match the discrete relative motions of the driving source and the driven means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel punch return means employing flexible members.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a punch return means mounted upon flexible members to match the relative motion of the punch return means to its drive source.

Further objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated for carrying it out.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates an improved form of card punching device over which the instant application is a fur ther improvement.

FIGURE 2. illustrates a card punching device constructed in accordance with the basic concepts of the invention with all component parts in the positions occupied prior to the start of a punch operation.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the relative movement of the component portions of the device of FIGURE 2. The left-hand punch member is illustrated in the select or punch mode of operation while the right hand punch member is illustrated in the non-select or non-punching mode of operation.

FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the punch bars and punch bar return means illustrating a modification of the embodiment of FIGURES 2 and 3.

Similar elements are given similar reference characters in each of the respective figures.

In the copending application Serial Number 313,370, filed October 2, 1963, of Raymond E. Seymour, entitled Card Punching Device assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference there is disclosed an improved card punching device. This device permits the elimination of certain wear points commonly found in prior art devices. These wear points are found at the pivot points of the interposers as well as the interposer control means. Such wear is introduced because of the almost continuous movement of the interposer regardless of whether a punching operation is to be performed or not. As described in the cited Seymour application the interposer, in prior art devices, is positioned to strike or not strike the punch bar head and then the interposer is moved by the presser bar towards the punch bar. This movement of the interposer causes wear at the interposer pivots as well as the pivots of the interposer positioning means.

Wear of the type described above is eliminated in the Seymour device by the novel technique of having the interposers move with the bail in non-punching operations and only move relative to the bail during punching operations.

The present invention represents an improvement over the device of the Seymour application by eliminating further wear points in the baildriving train. The improve ment consists of employing a flexible drive member between the main motor drive shaft and the oscillating bail. In this manner flexure of the flexible drive member is substituted for the bearing wear of solid non-flexing drive members of the prior art and of the above described Seymour device. The flexible member serves to transmit drive power to the bail along its length and to match the elliptical movementof the drive source with the arcuate movement of the bail.

The novel flexible drive member is also employed in the punch stripper arrangement to provide drive power to the stripper bars as well as path of motion matching. The punch bars operate in a vertical direction, while the bails, as has been described above, operate in arcuate paths. The flexure of the flexible drive members connected to the stripper bars serves to match these relative paths of motion. As the punch bars move to the record perforation position, the flexible members move the stripper bars along the surface of the punch bars without interfering with their movement. On the retracting portion of the bail movement, the stripper bars, driven by the flexible members, cause the punch bars to be withdrawn from the record and returned to their initial po sitions.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a punching device constructed in accordance with the basic concepts of the Seymour device is illustrated. An understanding of this device will permit an appreciation of the embodiments of the present application. The description contained herein is brief but reference may be had to the Seymour application for further description and figures.

The Seymour device consists of an inverted T-shaped bail having a crossbar 42 and a foot 44. The bail 40 is connected between a pair of support members 41 by means of a pivot point 46 located slightly off the center of the length of the crossbar 42. Fastened to the 'top of the foot 44 by means of the bolt 47 is a cross member 48. The cross member 43 is forked at its end 50 to permit the receipt of the arm member 62 to be described below. Also fastened to the foot 44 by means of the bolt 47 is a spring support member 52.

The crossbar 42 of the bail 40 is connected at one end by means of a pivot pin 54 to a link 56. The link 56 is then connected to cam follower 57 by means of pivot pin 59. The cam follower 57 rides on the inside of the race 61 upon the cam disc 58. A shaft 60, driven by means of a motor (not shown) is connected to the cam disc 58 off of center. Thus, as the shaft 60 is rotated in a clockwise direction as shown by the arrow the crossbar 42 and the foot 44 take on an essentially harmonic oscillation about the pivot point 46.

Connected to the opposite end of the crossbar 42 is the arm 62 which is connected by means of the pivot pin 64. The arm 62 has a lower portion 66 designated the armature and an upper notched portion 68 designated the interposer. The notch of interposer 68 has a first surface 69 which operates upon the lower edge of the punch bar 74, to be described below, during the select operation to permit punching. A further surface 71 is provided in the notch of interposer 63 to permit engagement with the notch of punch bar 74 during the punch retraction portion of a punching cycle, to be described below. Finally the upper end of the interposer 68 is beveled at surface 33 to permit the interposer 68 to be moved out of contact with the punch bar 74 as interposer 68 moves in its arcuate path during non-select operating cycles as will be described. The upper portion of the arm 62 is urged into contact with the fork 50 of the cross member 43 by means of a tension spring iii connected between the spring support member 52 and the upper portion d8 of the arm 62. The effect of the tension spring '76 is to cause the arm 62 to be tightly locked into the fork St) and cause the arm 62 to be rotated with the bail 46 as the bail is moved about its pivot 46. Thus the armature 66 of the arm 62. tends to sweep across the stop 73 during the entire movement of bail 4i As is evident from the above brief description of the Seymour device, the bail 49 is caused to take on its rocking or oscillatory motion about its pivot 46 by means of the solid, non-flexing link 56. The link is connected to the bail iii at pivot pin 54. This is the point at which maximum wear will occur. This wear is due to the almost continuous motion of the link 56 and the bail 4t). Additional wear is introduced at the pivot pin 5- 3 which tencs to elongate the apertures in the link 56 and the bail 49 due to the conversion of the essentially elliptical motion of the link 56 into the oscillatory motion of the bail Such elongation further alters the motion of the bail 49 in response to link 56 movement. The flexible drive member of the present invention entirely eliminates the pivotal connection between the link 56 and the bail 4-0. In addition, the flexure of the flexible member matches the elliptical motion of the drive unit to the required arcuate path of the bail. As a result longer life and more accurate punch control is obtained.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a side elevation of a punch device constructed in accordance with the basic concepts of the invention is shown. The punch device as illustrated permits the punching of two columns of a record at the same time. t should be understood that although the embodiment shown depicts a device for punching two columns at a time, the invention is not so limited and may be extended to cover more than two columns or reduced to cover a single column punching device. The punch members are supported on and contained within a box shaped support member 2. Within the hollowed out area and in a plane panallel with the surface of the drawing, there are found two support ears 4 and 6. Attached to the support cars are a pair of bail members 8 and 10 which are connected to ears 4 and 6 by means of pins 12 and 14 respectively. The bail members 8 and 19 are permitted to rotate about their respective pins 12 and 14 in arcuate paths. The ears 4 and 6 prevent movement in a lateral direction while permitting rotation about the pivots l2 and 14 respectively. The bail member 8 is formed with three projections 16, i8 and Zti. The projections 16, 18 and 2% connect with the central body of the bail member 8 close to the point at which the bail is connected by means of pivot 12 to the supporting ear 4. The projection to has at its far end a forked stop surface 22. In a similar manner the bail 10 is formed with projections 24-, 26 and 28. Projection 24 having a forked stop surface 3% at its remote end. Connected to the projections 18 and 28 of the bail members 8 and 16, respectively, are a pair of actuating arms 32 and 34. The arm 32 is connected to the projection 18 of bail member 8 by means of a pin 36 which permits rotation of the arm 32 about the pin 36 in an arcuate path. In a similar manner, the arm 34 is connected to the projection 28 of bail member 14 by means of a pin 38 so it too may rotate about said pin in an arcuate fashion. As can be seen from the drawings, the arms 32 renas o and 34 extend upwardly from their respective pins 3 and 38 and contact the forked stop surfaces 22 and 3 of the bail members 8 and 16 respectively. It should be noted that the arms project beyond projections 16 and 24 of the bail members 8 and lit The arm 32 is urged into contact with the forked stop surface 25? of the projection to of the bail member 8 by means of a spring 4!) which is connected between the ear 41 on the projection 16 and the body of the arm 32. In a like manner, the arm 34 is urged into contact with the forked stop surface 38 of the projection 24- of the bail member it) by means of a spring 42 connected between the main body of the arm 34 and the car 43 on the projection 24.

Connected to the projections 29 and 26 of the bail members 3 and it? respectively by means of fasteners 45 and 7 is a flexible driving member 44. The flexible driving member 44 is in turn connected by means of fasteners 4% to eccentric strap 46 of an eccentric assembly 51. A ball bearing housing 5d is placed inside the eccentric strap 45 and contacts the strap by means of a series of ball bearings (not shown) about the periphery of the housing 53. The ball bearings permit the housing 53 to freely rotate within the strap 44. The ball bearing housing 53 is fixedly mounted by means of a pin 43 to an eccentric shaft 50. The pin 48 of the housing 53 is placed oflf center of the shaft 50. Thus when the shaft 59 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by a motor (not shown) the pin 48 follows the circumference of the shaft 5% taking with it the housing 53. The movement of the housing 53 is passed to the eccentric strap 46 via the ball bearings. As a result the strap 46 takes on an essentially elliptical path of motion to provide the flexible member 44 the required up and down motion along the line of action of the arrow 110. The movement of flexible member 44 is in turn imparted to the bail members 8 and 1G by means of the connections at the projections 29 and 26 respectively. Thus the simple harmonic motion impressed upon the flexible member 44 is similarly impressed upon the bail members 8 and 10 which respond by moving in arcuate paths about their respective pivots 12 and lid.

As the position of the flexible member 44 is moved toward its maximum displacement from the shaft 50, it will cause the bail member 8 to be rotated about its pivot 12 in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown by the arrow 112 while causing the bail member 16 to be rotated about its pivot 14 in a clockwise direction, as shown by the arrow 114. As the flexible member 44 returns to its minimum displacement with respect to the shaft 59, the bail member 8 will be moved in a clockwise direction, opposite to that indicated by arrow 112, while the bail member 10 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, opposite to that indicated by arrow 119, both being returned to their neutral positions. The relative positions of the bail members during the further operation of the device are illustrated in the FIGURE 3 to be explained below. A further flexible member 52 is connected to the projection 18 of the bail member 8 to be driven by the movement of bail member 8. Attached to the upper end of this flexible member 52, to be operated in the manner to be disclosed below, is a stripping bar 5 3. Connected to the projection 28 of the bail member 10 is a further flexible member 56 which is similarly terminated in a stripping bar 58 to be described. The flexible members 52 and 56, in a manner analagous to flexible member 44, serve to convert the arcuate motion of the bail members 8 and it) to vertical movement required to operate the stripping bars 54- and 53.

Connected to the upper portion of the support member 2 is a punch block 60 with a pair of apertures 62 and 64 adapted to receive a pair of punch bars 66 and 68 respectively. The punch bars are permitted to travel along the length of the punch block on through the apertures 62 and 64 and ultimately enter a die plate 6% which has complementary apertures 7d and 72. to receive the punches 66 and 68. The punch block 60 and the die plate 69 are spaced suificiently apart in a vertical direction to permit the passage of a record 74, which may be a paper tape, a record card or any other suitable media therebetween. Thus when the punch bars 66 and 68 are propelled in the manner to be described below from the punch block 60 into the die plate 69, the punches are permitted to pierce the record 74. Attached to the lower portions of the punch bars 66 and 68 are a pair of stops designated 76 and 78. Additionally, a set of stop members 8 3 and 82 are carried by a support member 84 also attached to the support member 2.

The relationship of the stop members 86 and 32, the projections 76 and 78 and the stripper bars 54 and 58 will now be set forth. During a punch operation, the punch bars 66 and 63 are driven upwardly in a manner, to be described below, through the apertures 76 and 7?. respectively of the die plate 69. Upward motion of the punch bars will be terminated either by striking the back surface of the die plate 69 or simply due to the propelling device for the punch bars having reached its point of maximum travel. At this point, that is with the punch bars 66 and 68 having been moved to the furtherest position of travel, the projections 76 and 78 will be in a position to contact the bottom surfaces of the stripper bars 54 and 58 (see FIGURE 3). As the stripper bars 54 and 56 which are connected by means of the flexible members 52 and 56, are caused to move in a downward direction, as a result of the movement of the bail members to which they are attached, to their positions of rest (FIGURE 2), the stripper bars 54 and 58 will act upon the projections 76 and 78. The stripper bars 54 and 53, acting on the projections 76 and 78, respectively will cause their associated punch bars 66 and 68 to be moved in a downward direction, thus withdrawing the punch bars from the die plate 69 through the record 74 and back to their normal position within the recesses of the punch block 60. The downward movement of the punch bars 66 and 68 will behalted when the projections '76 and 78 contact their associated stop members 86 and 82. This operation will be described in greater detail with respect to FIGURE 3.

The lower portions of the arms 32 and 34 act as the armatures for a set of selection magnets 85 and 36. The magnet 85 is supported by the leftmost portion of the support member 2 whereas the magnet 86 is supported by the rightmost portion of the support member 2. The selection magnets 65 and 86 comprise soft iron permeable cores 88 and 90 respectively. The cores 88 and 90 are in the shape of a U and have coils 92 and E54 wrapped upon the respective core members 88 and 90. The terminals 96 and 93 of the coils 92 and 94 are connected in turn to a selection matrix which is not shown. Connected between the respective legs of the core 88 is a stop surface 100 and a further stop surface 102 for the selection magnet 86. The arms 32 and 34 as they are moved by their associated bail members 8 and It) sweep across the stop surfaces of their respective selection magnets 35 and 86.

The operation of the serial card punch as shown in FIGURE 2 is set out in greater detail with reference to FIGURE 3. The righthand punch unit is shown in its non-selected mode of operation whereas the lefthand punch unit is shown in its selected mode of operation. To summarize the manner of operation of the device in the non-selected fashion, reference is now made to the righthand punch unit of FIGURE 3. In that a hole is not to be punched in the record 74 by punch 68, the following series of events will take place. No current will be impressed on the winding 94 of the selection magnet 86 by the selection matrix (not shown). As the shaft 5%) rotates the eccentric assembly 51, the flexible member 4- 5 connected to the link 46 will be moved in a direction as shown by the arrow t lt. This will cause the bail member 8 to be rocked about its pivot 12 in a counter-clockwise direction as shown by the arrow 112. At the same time, the bail member 16 will be caused to rotate about i 6 its pivot I4 in a clockwise direction. as shown by the arrow lid. The arm 34 connected to the bail It) at projection 28 by means of the pivot 38 and held by the spring 42 against the forked stop surface 30 will be caused to move in the same arcuate path as the bail member 10. Thus the tip of the arm 34 will fail to contact the lower surface of the punch 68, and fail to actuate the punch to cause a punching operation. The clearance between the bottom portion of the punch bar 68 and the top surface of the arm 34 is so chosen that in this mode of 1 operation, that is the non-selected mode, the arm is free 1 to swing past the lower portion of the punch and not contact it in any manner. As the shaft 50 continues to rotate, the eccentric assembly 51 cause the flexible member 44 to be returned in a direction anti-parallel with the arrow lit) causing the bail member 10 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot 14. This action will cause the return of the bail member 10 as well as the arm 34 to their respective positions shown in FIG- URE 2 which represents the rest position.

During the initial portion of the movement of thebail members 6 and 16 from the position shown in FIGURE 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows 112 and 114, the stripper bar 58 driven by flexible member 56 will wipe the surface of the punch bar 68 in. an upward direction but will not cause any movement of the punch bar 68. During the movement of the bail member 10 to its rest position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the stripper bar 53 will wipe downwardly the surface of the punch bar 63. However, due to the fact that the punch bar 68 was not displaced upwardly, the stripper bar 58 will not act upon the stop 73 and the punch bar 68 will be retained in the position as shown in FIGURE 2. As the shaft 56 continues to rotate driving the eccentric assembly SI and in turn the flexible member 44 through another cycle, the same events will occur if no punching is to take place in the columns now available for punching. The record 74 is moved through the space between the punch block 66 and the die plate 69 by an advancing means (not shown). In this device, as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3, two columns are punched at the same time. Therefore, the control means for the record ad Vance must be such as to permit the advancement of two columns at any time. If a single punch assembly was used the means would only have to provide a single column advancing for each punch cycle. Alternatively if more units were employed for punching, the record advance mechanism would have to be adjusted to provide that many columns of advance for each punch cycle.

Turning now to the lefthand punch unit of FIGURE 3, the manner of operation of the card punching device will be described for a selected operation cycle. By selected, it is meant that the device will serve to actuate a punch bar and cause the punching of the record. Prior to the time that the flexible member 44 begins to move the bail member 8 from its rest position as shown in FIGURE 2, a current is provided by the selection matrix (not shown) .to terminals ?6 of the coil 92 of the selection magnet 85. The application of the selection current to the terminals 92 of the winding 96 on a selection magnet 35 will cause a field to be created which will cause the bottom portion of the arm 32, which acts as the armature for the selection magnet 85, to be drawn against and locked to the surface of the stop surface of the selection magnet 85. The field which is generated by the coils 92 of t e selection magnet $5 is suflicient merely to lock the armature portion of the arm 32 against the surface of the stop surface 100 but permits the arm 32 to move along the stop surface.

The force by which the arm is held against the stop surface 1%, however, is sufficiently great to overcome the biasing effect of the spring 46 which tends to keep the upper portion of the arm 32 in intimate contact with the forked stop surface 22 of the projection 16 of the bail member 8. Thus as the shaft 56 rotates, driving in turn the eccentric assembly 51 to which the flexible member 44 is attached, the bail member 8 will be caused to rotate about is pivot 12 in a counter-clockwise direction indicated by the arrow 112. However, the lower portion of the arm 32 will be held in contact with the stop surface 100 of the selection magnet 5 causing the upper portion of the arm 32 to be separated from the forked stop surface 22 of the projection 16 of the bail member 8. The arm 32, due to the holding force of the selection magnet 85, will be caused to rotate about its pivot as on projection 18 of the bail member 3. As the bail member 8 rotates about its own pivot 12 in the direction of the arrow 112, the arm 32 will be caused to rotate in a clockwise direction about its own pivot 36 separating itself from the forked stop surface 22 of the bail member 8. As the bail member 8 rotates it will tend to raise the position of the arm 32 which is constrained in a vertical direction of movement by the efiects of the selection magnet 85 upon the lower portion of the arm. Thus the arm 32 will serve to rise in a vertical direction and contact the lower portion of the punch bar causing the punch bar to be pushed through the aperture 62 in the punch block as through the record '74 into the receiving aperture 749 of the die plate 69. As the flexible member 44 is returned to its lowermost position, it moves the bail member 8 about its pivot 12 in a clock isc direction, anti-parallel with the arrow i121, causing the arm 32 to be Withdrawn from contact with the lower portion of the punch bar 66. At the same time as the bail member 3 is moving in its clockwise direction in response to the downward motion of the flexible member in a direction anti-parallel to the arrow llllti, the stripper bar 54- is also caused to move in a downward direction due to its coupling by means of flexible member 52 to the projection 18 of the bail member 8. As the stripper bar S-tis moved in a downward direction, it sweeps the face of the punch bar 66 and finally comes into contact with the projection 76 contained thereon. As the bail member it continues to move in its clockwise direction, the stripper bar 54 will act upon the projection causing the punch bar 66 to be withdrawn from the aperture 7@ of the die plate 69, the record '74 into the aperture 62 of the punch block 60. The punch bar will continue to move in a downward direction until the projection 76 contacts the stop surface 88 contained on the supporting member 84 at which time downward movement of Lhe punch bar 66 is terminated. Simultaneously with this, the current applied to the terminals is terminated. releasing the arm 32 from contact with the stop surface Edit of the selection magnet 85. The spring will now Jrge the upper portion of the arm 32 back into contact with the forked stop surface 22 of the projection 16 of the bail member 3. The device is now returned to its est condition as shown in FIGURE 2 with the punches :ompletely withdrawn into the punch plate so, the arms Jack into their initial condition of contact with the stop nirfaces of their respective bail members. The device is row ready for a further cycle of operation.

It should be understood that the description of the )peration of the left hand and right hand punch units :eparately is done only for simplicity of explanation and hat in actual operation, both punch units would operate :imultaneously, Whether in the punching or non-punch ng mode.

It should be understood that while only the first two )unches of two respective columns have been shown, a 'urther number of punches may be connected into the lane of the paper to permit the punchinr of as many "ow positions within each of the two columns as is deiired. For example, there may be 12 such punch assemlies one behind the other to permit the punching or" 12 ow positions in each one of the columns.

To permit the mounting of such punch assemblies 12 arms, springs etc. must be placed along the bail members Lt positions corresponding to the row positions. Each would operate as dcscriber. with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3.

FIGURE a partial view of a punch bar and or ar, ilustrtting aiternative arrangement of these elements. The punch bar is arranged with a having an upper surface 124 and a lower sur- The notch is long enough to permit stripper bar 5 to wipe the surface of the notch, as the bail member 8 moves to the position shown in the letthand portion or" FEGURE 3, without moving the punch 1253. The return of bail member 3 to its rest position, as shown in 2 will bring stripper bar 54 into contact with the sur cc 1225 of punch bar 12% as shown in FEGURE be insuhicient to permit the stripper bar 54 to 4-, but will ve the punch bar 12" uring the select or punch operation, the punch bar tab will travel up such that the stripper bar 54 will contact surface in of the punch bar 120 at the end of the countcrclocl W136 movement of the bail member 3. As the bail me the: u now moves clockwise to its rest position the stripper bar will exert a force against surface 12b of punch bar 12:, and move the punch bar 12% downwardly to its neutral position. The stop surfaces 8i) and well as the supporting member 534 may be ated with such an arrangement.

While there have bee shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel featu es of the invention as a 'icd to the preferred embodiments, it is understood that various om ssions and substitutions and changes of the form and details or" the device illustrated and its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A record perforating device comprising: a rotatable bail assembly; an interposer arm connected to said bail ssembly and movable with said bail assembly; a punch bar engageable with said interposer arm, and arranged to be moved to position to permit perforation of a record as said bail assembly is moved; said punch bar having a notch at its lower portion; a stripper bar engaging the notch in said punch bar and operable to return said punch bar to an initial position from said perforation position; a drive means for providing circular motion; an eccentrc assembly connected to said drive means to convert said circular motion into elliptical motion; a flexible drive member connected to said eccentric assembly and said bail assembly for converting said elliptical motion into essentially linear motion along the length of said flexible drive member, whereby said bail assembly is moved in an arcuate path; a second flexible drive member connected between said bail assembly and said stripper bar to cause said stripper bar to move said punch bar from the perforation position to an initial position as said bail assembly is moved; said flexible drive members, flexing to compensate for the relative forms of motion of said bail assembly, said eccentric assembly and said punch bar.

2. A record perforating device comprising: a rotatable bail assembly; a plurality of interposer arms connected to said bail assembly and movable with said bail assembly; a plurality of punch bars each engageable with its associated interposor arm, and arranged to be moved to a position to permit perforation of a record as said bail assembly is moved; said punch bars each having a notch at its 10 er portion; a stripper bar engaging the notch in said punch bars and operable to return said punch bars to an initial position from said perforation position; a drive means for providing circular motion; an eccentric assembly connected to said drive means to convert said circular motion into elliptical motion; a flexible drive member connected to said eccentric assembly and said bail assembly for converting said elliptical motion into essentially linear motion along the length of said flexible drive member, whereby said bail assembly is moved in an arcuate path; a second flexible drive member connected becli.

Q tween said bail assembly and said stripper bar to cause said stripper bar to move said punch bars from the perforation position to an initial position as said bail assembly is moved; said flexible drive members, flexing to compensate for the relative forms of motion of said bail assembly, said eccentric assembly and said punch bar.

, 3. A record perforating device comprising: two rotatable bail assemblies for selectively actuating the punch bars of two punch groups; a plurality of interposer arms in each group, one group being connected to each of said ball assemblies and movable with said bail assemblies; a plurality of punch bars in each group, each engageable with its associated interposer arm and arranged to be moved to a position to permit perforation of a record, as said bail assemblies are moved; said punch bars each having a notch at its lower portion; two stripper bars, one for each punch group, each engaging the notches of the punch bars of each punch group and operable to return said punch bars to an initial position from said perforation position; a drive means for providing circular motion; an eccentric assembly connected to said drive means to convert said circular motion into elliptical motion; and a flexible drive member connected to said eccentric assembly and to said two bail assemblies for converting said elliptical motion into essentially linear motion along the length of said flexible drive member, whereby said bail assemblies are moved in arcuate paths in opposite directions; two further flexible drive members, each connected between a bail assembly and its associated stripper bar to cause said stripper bars to move said punch bars from the perforation position to an initial position as said bail assembly is moved; said flexible drive members, flexing to compensate for the relative forms of motion of said bail assembly, said eccentric assembly and said punch bars. a

4. A record perforating device for perforating two data lines simultaneously comprising two support members; two bail members; two pivot pins, one for each bail to permit said bails to be pivotally mounted between said support members; a drive means for providing circular id motion; an eccentric assembly connected to said drive means to convert said circular motion into elliptical motion; a flexible drive member connected to said eccentric assembly and to said bail assemblies for converting said elliptical motion into essentially linear motion along the length of said flexible drive member, and for cyclically moving said bail assemblies in arcuate paths in opposite directions about said pivots, said bail assembles moving in first directions during one portion of said cycle and in second directions during a second portion of said cycle; two groups of arms, one group for each bail assembly; a plurality of second pivot pins, one for each arm, for pivotally mounting said arms to their associated bail assembly to permit said arms to rotate about said second pivot pins; said arms each having upper portions to contact associated punch bars; two groups of punch bars, each having a notch at their lower portions, one punch bar for each arm and engageable with said arms, said arms being arranged to be moved in a vertical direction to a position to permit perforation of a record during said first portion of said bail cycle; two stripper bars, one for each punch group, each engaging the notches of a single punch group and operable to return said punch bars in a vertical direction to an initial position from said perforation position during a second portion of said bail cycle; and second flexible drive members, each connected between a bail assembly and its associated stripper bar; said flexible drive members, flexing to compensate for the relative forms of motion of said bail assemblies, said eccentric assembly and said punch bars.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/62 Bradbury 234-115 3/64 Rabinow et al 234-115 

1. A RECORD PERFORATING DEVICE COMPRISING; A ROTATABLE BAIL ASSEMBLY; AN INTERPOSER ARM CONNECTED TO SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY AND MOVABLE WITH SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY; A PUNCH BAR ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INTERPOSER ARM, AND ARRANGED TO BE MOVED TO POSITION TO PERMIT PERFORATION OF A RECORD AS SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY IS MOVED; SAID PUNCH BAR HAVING A NOTCH AT ITS LOWER PORTION; A STRIPPER BAR ENGAGING THE NOTCH IN SAID PUNCH BAR AND OPERABLE TO RETURN SAID PUNCH BAR TO AN INITIAL POSITION FROM SAID PERFORATION POSITION; A DRIVE MEANS FOR PROVIDING CIRCULAR MOTION; AN ECCENTRIC ASSEMBLY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE MEANS TO CONVERT SAID CIRCULAR MOTION INTO ELLIPTICAL MOTION; A FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID ECCENTRIC ASSEMBLY AND SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY FOR CONVERTING SAID ELLIPTICAL MOTION INTO ESSENTIALLY LINEAR MOTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY IS MOVED IN AN ARCUATE PATH; A SECOND FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEMBER CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY AND SAID STRIPPER BAR TO CAUSE SAID STRIPPER BAR TO MOVE SAID PUNCH BAR FROM THE PERFORATION POSITION TO AN INITIAL POSITION AS SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY IS MOVED; SAID FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEMBERS, FLEXING TO COMPENSATE FOR RELATIVE FORMS OF MOTION OF SAID BAIL ASSEMBLY, SAID ECCENTRIC ASSEMBLY AND SAID PUNCH BAR. 